How to Approach Goal Setting for New Employees

Goal setting for new employees is an intimidating process for staff and managers. When new employees join the company, it’s difficult to immediately gauge their career objectives and ask them to put those objectives into an actionable plan.

However, goal setting is critical to organizational success – especially with new employees. Workforces constantly experience shakeups, with some employees changing jobs up to four times in 10 years. By taking a proactive approach to goal setting, companies can build a strong and engaged culture, leading to greater levels of employee success and retention.

Additional research by Latham and Locke reveals that employees who set their own goals are more likely to reach them, as opposed to goals outlined by managers.

Goal setting for new employees can be a positive process if you keep the following attributes in mind:

Simplicity – Employees shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to set career goals. It should be a simple, straightforward process where staff can set, manage and change goals as needed. The best way to achieve this is through intuitive software, like an employee engagement platform, that facilitates goal setting and tracking.

Transparency – Josh Bersin cautions that goals often don’t come to fruition because employees don’t understand what is expected of them in their day-to-day work. Transparency regarding company and employee expectations enables employees to set meaningful, relevant goals that reach both personal and organizational objectives.

Agility – Companies and the industries they serve are constantly evolving, and bringing new process, roles and technology to the forefront. Goal setting for new employees should be adaptable and scalable. If companies experience corporate changes, promotions and team shifts, goals should evolve to meet these new organizational requirements.

Goal Setting for New Employees With HighGround

HighGround’s employee engagement platform guides employees through user-friendly goal cycles, allowing managers and peers to collaborate along the way. Transparency and accountability come together to create an open, positive environment where individuals can create goals that align with larger, company-wide objectives.